policy and politics from a local government and democracy viewpoint, written by the team at LGiU

Councillors welcome and goodbyes

Hello to all the new councillors elected on Thursday. Congratulations. It is a great job. I hope you will want to sign up for LGiU services, have a look at our website and in particular our fully revised induction materials aimed at helping new councillors settle into their roles effectively and quickly. Four booklets look at:

Making an impact

Getting to know your ward

Being part of a team

Getting to know your organisation

The guides are a source of information, a balance of practical basics and advice and tips from existing councillors that new councillors will find invaluable. They cover topics such as: managing your workload; representing your constituents; communications; conduct and behaviour; working with officers; being accountable for the council doing a good job.

They tell new councillors about some of the practical things they need to know and they also give them information about their new role as well as some ideas on how to get the best out of it.

If your authority is a member of LGiU do make sure you sign up for our briefings, we get lots of feedback that Councillors find these short and easy to read policy briefings indispensable. Also make sure you get your copy of Cllr magazine, the only mag for and about councillors, and check out our seminars and conferences. Details at www.lgiu.gov.uk

Goodbye to councillors who stepped down or were not re-elected last week. Particular good wishes and thanks to former Cllr Jean Yates from Lancashire who was a long serving member of the LGiU Board, and to Cllr Henry Hobhouse of Somerset who got involved more recenntly with the Unit but has made a huge contribution to our current major project on localising criminal justice, the report of which will be published in July.